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Poor Indians Prove Amartya Sen Wrong

Even illiterate parents can make rational choices on schools for their children.

By

Akshaya Vijayalakshmi, Srikanth Viswanathan and

Vipin P. Veetil

Sept. 26, 2013 12:44 p.m. ET

Nobel prize-winning economist Amartya Sen sure has a low opinion of India's poor. In an interview with Mint newspaper published on July 23, Mr. Sen was asked about cash-transfer programs such as education vouchers. "If you are a peasant farmer and have never been to school, your ability to choose on the basis of information is very limited. Given the asymmetry of information, you'll never be able to get there," he said.

Yet the poor in India appear to disagree with Mr. Sen. Parents are increasingly choosing to...